Canarian Weekly
16-01-2015, 13:20
STEPHEN Blundell a drugs baron who admitted organising a £1m heroin plot but fled to Tenerife before sentencing, surrendered to the police here on Monday.
In his absence, the 36-year-old, from Halewood in Liverpool, was jailed for nine years and eight months last October.
But, as the National Crime Agency’s Hank Cole said: “The law enforcement net was tightening and I believe he handed himself in when he realised his days on the run were numbered.”
Blundell, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin in 2013, was named as one of Britain’s most-wanted fugitives and listed in the Crimestoppers’ Captura campaign to track down criminals hiding abroad.
The NCA said he controlled a 14-strong gang which supplied “huge amounts” of the drug from Merseyside to the South West.
Among the gang was a Cornish grandmother, caught transporting £50,000 of heroin under four pasties in her shopping bag.
Devon and Cornwall Police targeted Blundell as part of an investigation into the supply of drugs to areas including Bodmin, Exeter, Tiverton and Torquay.
The NCA had gathered intelligence that he was in Tenerife shortly before he turned himself over to police.
Blundell will be extradited to Britain to serve the near 10-year sentence from which he fled. He could also face a further penalty for skipping bail.
Devon and Cornwall Police said Blundell enjoyed the high-life, wearing designer clothes and driving luxury cars, including, Audis, BMWs, Volkswagen 4x4s and a Porsche Boxer.
He also spent £11,000 in cash on foreign travel in a three-month period, yet had no obvious income or employment.
Detective Constable Jason Braund told the Liverpool Echo in 2013: “He lived in very swanky, rented apartments and had access to high-value sports cars. He maintained a lavish lifestyle and there were exotic holidays with girlfriends.
“In his wardrobe, everything was designer – it was all top-of-the-range stuff. He was living the lavish lifestyle and it would appear that as soon as he got that cash, it was being spent.”
In the conspiracy, Blundell involved his cousins Paul Blundell, 24, and Ryan Morgan, 29, as well as 24-year-old drug courier John Pogue, all of Halewood.
Pogue’s Toyota Avensis was tracked driving to Devon some 42 times between November 2009, and September 2010.
When he was eventually stopped, officers recovered a £25,000 block of heroin concealed in the glove box.
If each trip was linked to supplying heroin, police believe Pogue could have trafficked as much as £1m of the drug.
Blundell was also convicted in his absence of paying for a corrupt court official to wipe points from his driving licence illegally.
He was among 28 drivers faced with disqualification who paid cash to middle-men, with forms sent from Liverpool magistrates’ court to the DVLA in Swansea, requesting that convictions be deleted.
Hank Cole, the NCA’s Head of International Operations, said: “Blundell would have been constantly looking over his shoulder after his mugshot appeared across Spain as part of the Captura ‘Unlucky Thirteen’ campaign.
“It was only a matter of time before he was caught because the Spanish National Police had been carrying out intelligence-led operations in Tenerife.
“The law enforcement net was tightening, and I believe he handed himself in when he realised his days on the run were numbered.”
The NCA international chief added: “We will continue to work with our partners to pursue fugitives wherever they are on the world.
“And Spain is not a safe haven because 64 fugitives have been caught there since Captura was launched, and many more have been linked to other operations.”
Crimestoppers chairman Lord Michael Ashcroft added: “I am delighted to see that, once again, the collaborative work between Crimestoppers, the NCA and the Spanish Police bears fruit as we see another wanted criminal off our streets.
“The media and the public play a big role in putting pressure on these individuals, who continue to think they can evade capture.
“Stephen Blundell handing himself in to the authorities is an example that, eventually, you will be caught – or you will have no choice but to give yourself up.”
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/operation-captura-finds-tenerife-fugitive/)
In his absence, the 36-year-old, from Halewood in Liverpool, was jailed for nine years and eight months last October.
But, as the National Crime Agency’s Hank Cole said: “The law enforcement net was tightening and I believe he handed himself in when he realised his days on the run were numbered.”
Blundell, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin in 2013, was named as one of Britain’s most-wanted fugitives and listed in the Crimestoppers’ Captura campaign to track down criminals hiding abroad.
The NCA said he controlled a 14-strong gang which supplied “huge amounts” of the drug from Merseyside to the South West.
Among the gang was a Cornish grandmother, caught transporting £50,000 of heroin under four pasties in her shopping bag.
Devon and Cornwall Police targeted Blundell as part of an investigation into the supply of drugs to areas including Bodmin, Exeter, Tiverton and Torquay.
The NCA had gathered intelligence that he was in Tenerife shortly before he turned himself over to police.
Blundell will be extradited to Britain to serve the near 10-year sentence from which he fled. He could also face a further penalty for skipping bail.
Devon and Cornwall Police said Blundell enjoyed the high-life, wearing designer clothes and driving luxury cars, including, Audis, BMWs, Volkswagen 4x4s and a Porsche Boxer.
He also spent £11,000 in cash on foreign travel in a three-month period, yet had no obvious income or employment.
Detective Constable Jason Braund told the Liverpool Echo in 2013: “He lived in very swanky, rented apartments and had access to high-value sports cars. He maintained a lavish lifestyle and there were exotic holidays with girlfriends.
“In his wardrobe, everything was designer – it was all top-of-the-range stuff. He was living the lavish lifestyle and it would appear that as soon as he got that cash, it was being spent.”
In the conspiracy, Blundell involved his cousins Paul Blundell, 24, and Ryan Morgan, 29, as well as 24-year-old drug courier John Pogue, all of Halewood.
Pogue’s Toyota Avensis was tracked driving to Devon some 42 times between November 2009, and September 2010.
When he was eventually stopped, officers recovered a £25,000 block of heroin concealed in the glove box.
If each trip was linked to supplying heroin, police believe Pogue could have trafficked as much as £1m of the drug.
Blundell was also convicted in his absence of paying for a corrupt court official to wipe points from his driving licence illegally.
He was among 28 drivers faced with disqualification who paid cash to middle-men, with forms sent from Liverpool magistrates’ court to the DVLA in Swansea, requesting that convictions be deleted.
Hank Cole, the NCA’s Head of International Operations, said: “Blundell would have been constantly looking over his shoulder after his mugshot appeared across Spain as part of the Captura ‘Unlucky Thirteen’ campaign.
“It was only a matter of time before he was caught because the Spanish National Police had been carrying out intelligence-led operations in Tenerife.
“The law enforcement net was tightening, and I believe he handed himself in when he realised his days on the run were numbered.”
The NCA international chief added: “We will continue to work with our partners to pursue fugitives wherever they are on the world.
“And Spain is not a safe haven because 64 fugitives have been caught there since Captura was launched, and many more have been linked to other operations.”
Crimestoppers chairman Lord Michael Ashcroft added: “I am delighted to see that, once again, the collaborative work between Crimestoppers, the NCA and the Spanish Police bears fruit as we see another wanted criminal off our streets.
“The media and the public play a big role in putting pressure on these individuals, who continue to think they can evade capture.
“Stephen Blundell handing himself in to the authorities is an example that, eventually, you will be caught – or you will have no choice but to give yourself up.”
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/operation-captura-finds-tenerife-fugitive/)